21 October 2008

Posted at 16:21h in purple cow, remarkable, seth godin by

... remarkably bad, that is. I can't say enough about the importance of being remarkable. Seth Godin's Purple Cow is what they should be teaching in university marketing degrees. Matt Granfield loves it almost as much as I do. But it's easy to be remarkable when you're product or service isn't good. But that's not the kind of remarkable you want to be....

19 October 2008

Posted at 16:24h in blogging, facebook, spam, spam act, twitter by

Bigpond started using Twitter. At first they sucked. But it appears they've listened and turned things around. However during this process some legal implications were raised, specifically the Spam Act 2003. After research of my own, speaking to the Australian Communications and Media Authority and getting in touch with Dr Melissa de Zwart from the Faculty of Law at Monash University, I have summarised the results...

15 October 2008

Posted at 20:37h in bloggers, broadcast, facebook, social media, youtube by

After identifying two approaches when it comes to social media marketing, yesterday's post discussed the first strategy of Response. The second strategy, discussed below is Broadcast. Above the line is from marketer's point of view. Below it, is from the consumer's. Produce Before anything, the marketer must firstly produce content. Ideally this should be of something remarkable and with a high social currency value. This could be a video, Facebook application, podcast, blog or any even a press release. Publish In order for the content to be seen it is published on sites such as YouTube, Blogger or Facebook. In some case a microsite can be as effective. Ensure the barriers of viewing are low and that the content is easily spreadable. This can be done through a number of means such as allowing embed links for videos or giving consent for consumers to mashup your content. Seed Seeding your published material should not be done in an interruptive manner. Spamming is definitely not an option here and one step wrong here could ruin a whole campaign. It is vital that this is done in a way that adds value to a conversation, do not seed where you are not welcome or even encouraged to do so. And most importantly, be transparent, open and honest. Pull New media is not about pushing content onto consumers who don't want it. Ideally you want them pulling it from you. The Internet has allowed this to become a easy and automated process with technology such as RSS, email newsletters and even YouTube subscriptions. After seeding the content, consumers should have the option to subscribe to a feed or service. This should be consented and with the ability to unsubscribe. You know those consumers who sign up to your feed will be among the most loyal and passionate. Spread Once the consumers are pulling your content, it will begin to spread. Buzz will be generated and depending on the medium you might even some get some consumers producing user generated content. Blendtec used this approach in October 2006 and it continues to remain a success with over 114,000 subscribed users on YouTube. If I ever decided to get a blender, I know which brand I'd purchase. If you're interested, also take a look at Julian Cole's Social Media Marketing Framework and Laurel Papworth's definition of Social Media. Be sure to check out my other approach Response. Please feel free to offer any thoughts or critique. ...

14 October 2008

Posted at 17:15h in blogging, framework, new media, response, social media, social networks, twitter, youtube by

The way I see it, new media is the umbrella that encompasses everything from social media marketing to viral marketing to mobile marketing. Essentially, anything that does not interrupt a consumer with a great focus on consented, engaging and value providing content. So what is social media? A few days of research, thinking and graphics work have lead me to two key strategies that can be undertaken when it comes to social media marketing. The first, which I'll be covering here is Response and the second, which I'll be posting tomorrow, is Broadcast. Above the line is from marketer's point of view. Below it, is from the consumer's. Monitor Before jumping into the pool it is important to test the water. Observe your consumer and community in focus from afar. Before posting a comment on someone's blog, you must first understand what they're talking about. You should be scoping the scene out to see if you can firstly join the conversation and secondly add to the conversation. Identify There are too many blogs, social network profiles, YouTube videos and tweets for you to respond to them all. After monitoring your consumer and community it is important to identify the most influential people within this niche. Using these opinion leaders and those with loyal audiences (not necessarily large), you will be able to more effectively and efficiently target your key customers. Engage After monitoring and identify the influential consumers within a community, you can now engage with them. This relationship might be a short or long but either way it should be a case of providing meaningful and relevant value to consumers and their community. UGC You have now engaged with the consumer and started a relationship which has been built on the mutual exchange of value. Here the marketer gives up control of the message and the community takes over with the creation of user generated content. It could be something small like establishing and spreading buzz online (or offline) through social networks or something much more involved like writing a blog post or publishing a video on YouTube. The Body Shop do this extremely well. Not only do they have a blog (see Broadcast), but actively respond to influential bloggers. As a result, I'm creating content about them right now. This is one of two strategies I have identified that could be used when approaching social media marketing. The other is Broadcast. Please feel free to offer any thoughts or critique. Edit: I have since updated this model here. ...

13 October 2008

Posted at 20:03h in movember by

  Last year I questioned the intergration between Movember and research into men's health issues. This year, being a part of it, I see things a little differently. While I don't really have the ability to actually grow a moustache, please donate. Or sign up, join team MO'NASH and raise money for a good cause. Thanks....

11 October 2008

Posted at 15:18h in google, herzberg, remarkable by

Sometimes it's the small things that make a real difference. And I'm not even talking about the remarkable stuff. That small something could be enough to motivate you, or de motivate you if it doesn't exist (see Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory). Can you imagine Google if you had to click on the text box every time you went to the homepage? Or the frustration someone has when they're shopping online, the page times out and they have to start again? Or even getting my morning coffee and not seeing a smile from the girl behind the counter? If you're not going to be remarkable, at least get the small stuff right. What small thing makes a difference to you? Good or bad, online or offline....

09 October 2008

Posted at 14:35h in employment, facebook, gen x, gen y, privacy by

Gen Y just doesn't care about their privacy. Speaking as one of them, I am not worried about the information that goes up on my social networking profiles. I share personal information every day and tagged in photos every Monday morning after a big weekend. And there are some shocking ones. The reason I bring this up is because Gen X's are constantly telling me that this is going to affect my career with employers frowning upon such behaviour. But I disagree. Sooner or later employers are going to release that the high majority of Gen Y have at least one Facebook photo that shows them partying, drinking or worse. Interestingly, I don't have a problem with complete transparency or the need to hide what I do in my own time. What's going to be really interesting is when Gen Y takes a majority in the workplace and they (we) become the employers of the next generation, what ever they're called. Can you even imagine what the social norms will be then? I actually have a link to my Facebook page in my email signature. And I send emails to potential future employers every day. I'm not worried about the photos they will see. Although sooner or later someone might realise I only have one suit and two shirts that I have to keep alternating....